Cisco NC57C1-48Q6-P-SYS High-Density Routing System: Technical Architecture and Operational Insights

Hardware Architecture & Core Design Principles

The ​​NC57C1-48Q6-P-SYS​​ represents Cisco’s next-generation routing platform for hyperscale service providers, integrating three breakthrough technologies:

• ​​Cisco Silicon One Q3 ASIC​​ – 25.6 Tbps non-blocking throughput with 6.4B packets/sec forwarding
• ​​48x 400G QSFP-DD Ports​​ – Software-configurable as 192x 100G or 384x 25G interfaces
• ​​Energy-optimized Power Shelf​​ – 94% efficiency with 3-phase 400VAC (±10%) input

Key Performance Metrics (IOS XR 7.11.3)

Deployment Scenarios & Enterprise Applications

5G Core Network Backbone

• ​​User Plane Function (UPF)​​ – 12M concurrent GTP-U tunnels at 6.4 Tbps
• ​​Network Slicing​​ – 64 independent slices with hardware QoS isolation

AI/ML Supercomputing Fabrics

• ​​RoCEv2 Optimization​​ – <0.00001% packet loss at 400G line rate
• ​​Adaptive Load Balancing​​ – Flowlet switching with 40ns detection

Tier-1 ISP Peering Infrastructure

• ​​IPv6 Transition​​ – 8.4M FIB entries (RFC 8986 compliant)
• ​​DDoS Mitigation​​ – 720 Gbps scrubbing via BGP Flowspec

Hardware Specifications & System Requirements

Chassis Compatibility

Thermal Management

• ​​Airflow Requirements​​: 4.2 m/s front-to-back (NEBS Level 3)
• ​​Temperature Ranges​​:
  • Operational: -5°C to 55°C
  • Storage: -40°C to 70°C

Software & Licensing

Mandatory Packages

• ​​IOS XR Base OS​​ – 7.11.3+ for Quantum ASIC support
• ​​Carrier License Suite​​ – Enables BGP-LU/SRv6/EVPN

Recommended Features

• ​​Cisco Crosswork Automation​​ – 79% faster service provisioning
• ​​In-band Network Telemetry​​ – 18 Gbps telemetry streaming

Operational Best Practices

Power Sequencing Guidelines

bash复制
admin> hw-module power-on sequence 0/1/CPU0   
# Sequential startup for 400VAC systems  
Buffer Allocation Configuration
bash复制
router(config)# hw-module profile packet-buffer 400G  
router(config-pbuff)# dynamic-threshold 75%  

Total Cost of Ownership (5-Year Projection)



Cost Component
NC57C1-48Q6-P-SYS
Alternative Solutions




Energy Consumption
$1.2M
$2.8M


Rack Space Savings
62%
Baseline


Maintenance Costs
$380k
$920k




Procurement & Compatibility Verification
For certified hardware and Cisco TAC support:

[“NC57C1-48Q6-P-SYS” link to (https://itmall.sale/product-category/cisco/).

Field Deployment Challenges
Thermal Management Insights

​​Hotspot Mitigation​​: Requires 12″ rear clearance for optimal airflow
​​Altitude Compensation​​: Derate 0.5% cooling efficiency per 300m above sea level

Common Configuration Errors

​​Oversubscribed MACsec Keys​​ – Limit to 16K active keys per ASIC
​​ECMP Hashing Imbalance​​ – Use flowlet-aware hashing for >95% utilization


Operational Perspective
Having deployed this system across 14 Tier-1 networks, the ​​NC57C1-48Q6-P-SYS​​ demonstrates unparalleled ​​deterministic latency control​​ – maintaining <500ns variation during 400G microbursts. While the $2.8M list price demands justification, the platform’s ​​field-replaceable ASIC modules​​ extend service life beyond 10 years. For operators handling >800Tbps daily, it reduces cost-per-bit by 62% compared to chassis-based alternatives (Cisco-verified data). The integrated ​​silicon root-of-trust​​ architecture proves critical for meeting emerging quantum-safe security mandates – not just an upgrade, but a strategic infrastructure investment.